ADD / ADHD

What is ADD and ADHD?

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are genetic disorders that result in a lack of blood flow in the frontal lobe of the brain. This results in a poor attention span, impulsive behavior, and/or hyperactivity. People rarely grow out of ADD/ADHD.

Is ADD or ADHD over diagnosed today?

It may be misdiagnosed. For instance, if a child has a parent with an ‘I am the boss’ parenting style, the child may exhibit many symptoms that an ADD/ADHD child exhibits. Symptoms similar to those of ADD/ADHD may also be indicative of mood, cognitive, or personality disorders. Many evaluators use the Conrad ADHD Test (with a reliability of 40%) as the assessment tool to diagnose ADD/ADHD; however, Dr. Worthing uses the ADHDT by PRO-ED, Inc., which has a reliability of over 90%.

What are the three types of ADD/ADHD and their symptoms?

Not all need to be present

Inattentive Type

Poor Concentration

Fails to Finish Projects

Disorganized

Poor Planning Ability

Absentminded

Inattentive

Difficulty Following Directions

Short Attention Span

Easily Distracted

Difficulty Staying on Task

Difficulty Completing Tasks

Frequently Loses Things

Impulsive Type

Acts before Thinking

Shifts from One Activity to the Next

Fails to Wait for One’s Turn

Difficulty Waiting Turn

Blurts Out Answers

Impulsive

Interrupts Conversations

Intrudes on Others

Does Not Wait for Directions

Fails to Follow Rules

Hyperactive Type

Loud

Constantly ‘On-The-Go’

Excessive Activity

Wiggling in Seat

Easily Excited

Grabs Objects

Excessive Talking

Manipulates Objects

Inability to Play Quietly

Fidgets/Restless/Squirms

What are the Life-Altering Aspects of Untreated ADD or ADHD?

More than 40% of children with ADHD indulge in early tobacco and alcohol abuse, compared with 30% or less of those without ADHD.

Up to 58% of children with ADHD have failed a grade in school. In one study, 46% of children with ADHD had been suspended from school.

As many as 30% of adolescents with ADHD will drop out of or fail to complete high school, compared with 10% of those without ADHD.

On average, in their first 2 years of driving, adolescents with ADHD are involved in automobile accidents significantly more often; they are more likely both to be at fault and to incur bodily injuries in such accidents than are those without the disorder.

38% of young adults with ADHD are likely to have been pregnant or to have caused a pregnancy, compared with 4% of those without ADHD.

17% of young adults with ADHD are likely to have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, compared with 4% of those without ADHD.

Some research has shown that when children with ADHD reach adulthood, up to 79% of them may complain of difficulties with symptoms of anxiety, sadness, and physical ailments, compared with 51% of those without ADHD.

Adults with ADHD are 78% more likely to be addicted to tobacco or smoking, compared with those without ADHD.

ADHD adults (compared with those without it) are 58% more likely to use illegal drugs.

Over an extended study period, the overall medical costs for persons with ADHD were more than twice those of individuals without the disorder ($4,300 vs. $1,900).

The Importance of An Accurate Diagnosis: ADHD Is Similar to Other Disorders